Customer Reviews

Learn to cook Thai style

On a bank of the tiny Sanam Chai
canal that cuts into the Chao Phraya River, in Bangkok, a Thai family
house has been converted into the Amita Thai Cooking School.

It
is an example of how families are getting involved in tourism offering
a genuine experience. In this case, the focus is on teaching visitors
how to cook genuine Thai food dishes.

No.5_inside_1Like any
fledging enterprise, the challenge is to gain the attention of tour
operators to include it as a lifestyle activity alongside standard tour
options.

To maintain a traditional atmosphere, the kitchen is a
wooden structure, open air, and decorated with antiques from the
familyâ€'s collection.

There are 10 individual cooking stations
equipped with utensils for each student to cook their own dishes. The
course lasts three hours and gives tuition on preparing four dishes
that are served for lunch, at the close of the class.

During a typical week, the school rotates three menu sets that feature a mix of savoury and sweet dishes.

No.5
Inside_2Students transfer from their hotels to the Maharaj Pier near
the Grand Palace where they board a private boat to the school.
Transfer included in the tuition fee.

Before going to the kitchen, instructors explain the herbal garden identifying plants and leaves that are used in cooking.

Hands-on
tuition starts with an instructor demonstrating cooking techniques and
showing them the ingredient measures required for each dish. Then itâ€'s
the studentsâ€' turn to cook with the instructors guiding them through
the process step-by-step.

If a curry is on the menu, students
will have to pound ingredients into a paste, although all the
ingredients used for cooking were pre-prepared, earlier in the morning
to speed up the tuition.

No.5_Inside_3One interesting technique
shows students how to make coconut milk from scratch using a
traditional Thai coconut grater, while another shows them how to make
flour from rice grains using a stone mill. The rice flour is then used
to make Kha Nom Krok or rice pancakes.